1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operating device comprising a switch having a rotation shaft.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an operating device disposed on an operating panel of an AV (Audio/Visual) apparatus or the like, there is an operating device comprising a switch having a rotation shaft, which plays a role in adjusting a sound volume level as it is rotationally operated or moved by a user.
This operating device is provided with: a rotating operation portion rotationally operated by a user; and a switch portion disposed on a circuit board.
The rotating operation portion is shaped into a schematic cylinder. The rotating operation portion is constructed such that its side wall projects by a certain amount from a surface of the operating panel so that a user can hold and rotate the rotating operation portion.
On the other hand, the switch portion is mounted on a substrate of the circuit board through a plurality of terminals. On the rotating operation portion""s side of the switch portion, there is disposed a rotation shaft, which is adapted to rotate and which expands perpendicular to the flat plane of the circuit board.
The rotation shaft of the switch portion is pressed and inserted into the cylindrical opening of the engagement portion of the rotating operation portion, so that the switch portion is united with the rotating operation portion.
Moreover, as the user holds and rotates the side wall of the rotating operation portion, the rotation shaft pressed and inserted into the engagement portion of the rotating operation portion is rotated. This rotational movement is used for the adjustment of the sound volume level.
By the way, when equipping an instrument panel of a vehicle supposed to be sold for Europe with the AV apparatus, under the purpose of the safety for people in the vehicle (especially, a child (a baby)), the structure of the operating device is standardized as described below. Namely, at least one of the below standards (1) and (2) is required in Europe.
Standard (1) of the Structure:
The projection amount of the side wall of the rotating operation portion from the surface of the operating panel is within the determined amount.
Standard (2) of the Structure:
In the case that the side wall of the rotating operation portion is projected from the surface of the operating panel by over the determined amount, when there is added an impulsive force of a predetermined load (about 40 kg weight) (which is regarded as the load received when a head of a child is bumped into the operating panel), the projection amount can be reduced by the impulsive force to be within the determined amount.
Although the above described standard (2) may be considered or researched, the above described standard (1) may be likely or often adopted.
However, in case of the above described standard (1), the determined amount is set as a substantially minimum value that a user can hold the side wall of the rotating operation portion. In other words, the projection amount of the side wall of the rotating operation portion is minimized as much as possible in a practical sense to prevent a head of a child (a baby) from easily contacting the edge of the block portion of the rotating operation portion when the head is bumped into the operating panel.
As a result, the above described standard (1) has such a problem that it is difficult for the user to hold and rotationally operate the side wall of the rotating operation portion because of its small projection amount.
On the other hand, it is practically rather difficult to adopt the above described standard (2) i.e., such a structure that the projection amount is over the determined amount to improve the operationality and is yet within the determined amount when the impulsive force is added.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an operating device having the structure which fulfills the above described standard (2) to thereby improve the operationality, i.e., an operating device which can improve the operationality as well as the safety.
The above object of the present invention can be achieved by an operating device provided with: a switch portion having a rotation shaft; a rotating operation portion comprising an engagement portion with which the rotation shaft is engaged; and a stage difference portion formed on at least one of the rotation shaft and the engagement portion for regulating a movement of the engagement portion with respect to the rotation shaft in an axial direction of the rotation shaft so as to form a space, which may be cylindrical or prismatic, within the engagement portion at a tip side of the rotation shaft when the rotation shaft is engaged with the engagement portion.
According to the operating device of the present invention, when an impulsive force is added onto the rotating operation portion toward the switch portion along the axial direction of the rotation shaft, e.g., when the person or the like is bumped onto the rotating operation portion which is projected from a front of an operating panel, the rotating operation portion can be moved along the axial direction and its projection amount is certainly reduced as the rotation shaft is inserted deeper into the engagement portion by the impulsive force against the stage difference portion. Accordingly, the projection amount can be reduced within the amount defined by the aforementioned standard (2). On the other hand, in an ordinary condition, the movement or position of the engagement portion relative to the rotation shaft in the axial direction is regulated or defined by the stage difference portion. Thus, the rotating operation portion can be projected enough for a user to easily hold and operate it because of the existence of the space in the engagement portion before the rotation shaft is inserted deeper into the engagement portion by the impulsive force.
In one aspect of the operating device of the present invention, the stage difference portion is formed on an outer surface of the rotation shaft, has a predetermined width in the axial direction and projects outwardly from the outer surface by a predetermined amount in a radial direction of the rotation shaft.
According to this aspect, when the impulsive force is added onto the rotating operation portion, the rotating operation portion can be moved along the axial direction as the rotation shaft is inserted deeper into the engagement portion by the impulsive force against the stage difference portion, which is formed on the outer surface of the rotation shaft. On the other hand, in the ordinary condition, the movement or position of the engagement portion relative to the rotation shaft in the axial direction is regulated or defined by the stage difference portion, which is formed on the outer surface of the rotation shaft.
In this aspect, the stage difference portion may be integrally formed with the rotation shaft.
By constituting in this manner, the stage difference portion can be easily and surely realized.
Also in this aspect, the stage difference portion may be harder than the engagement portion so that the engagement portion is scraped by a tip of the stage difference portion when the rotation shaft having the stage difference portion is forced to be inserted deeper into the engagement portion.
By constituting in this manner, when the impulsive force is added onto the rotating operation portion, the rotating operation portion can be moved along the axial direction as the rotation shaft is inserted deeper into the engagement portion by the impulsive force while the engagement portion is scraped by the tip of the stage difference portion.
For example, resin may be used as a soft material for the engagement portion while aluminum may be used as a hard material for the rotation shaft as well as the stage difference portion.
In this case, the operating device may be further provided with a stopper disposed on the rotation shaft for stopping the movement of the engagement portion in the axial direction when the rotation shaft is forced to be inserted deeper into the engagement portion.
By constituting in this manner, it is possible to stop the movement of the engagement portion after it is moved by the impulsive force.
In another aspect of the operating device of the present invention, the stage difference portion is formed on an inner surface of the engagement portion, has a predetermined width in the axial direction and projects inwardly from the inner surface by a predetermined amount in a radial direction of the engagement portion.
According to this aspect, when the impulsive force is added onto the rotating operation portion, the rotating operation portion can be moved along the axial direction as the rotation shaft is inserted deeper into the engagement portion by the impulsive force against the stage difference portion, which is formed on the inner surface of the engagement portion. On the other hand, in the ordinary condition, the movement or position of the engagement portion relative to the rotation shaft in the axial direction is regulated or defined by the stage difference portion, which is formed on the inner surface of the engagement portion.
In this aspect, the stage difference portion may be integrally formed with the engagement portion.
By constituting in this manner, the stage difference portion can be easily and surely realized.
Also in this aspect, the rotation shaft may be harder than the stage difference portion so that the stage difference portion is scraped by a tip of the rotation shaft when the rotation shaft is forced to be inserted deeper into the engagement portion having the stage difference portion.
By constituting in this manner, when the impulsive force is added onto the rotating operation portion, the rotating operation portion can be moved along the axial direction as the rotation shaft is inserted deeper into the engagement portion by the impulsive force while the stage difference portion is scraped by the tip of the rotation shaft.
For example, resin may be used as a soft material for the engagement portion as well as the stage difference portion while aluminum may be used as a hard material for the rotation shaft.
In this case, the operating device may be further provided with a stopper disposed on the rotation shaft for stopping the movement of the engagement portion in the axial direction when the rotation shaft is forced to be inserted deeper into the engagement portion.
By constituting in this manner, it is possible to stop the movement of the engagement portion after it is moved by the impulsive force.
In another aspect of the operating device of the present invention, the operating device may be equipped on a front of an operating panel of an on-vehicle type AV apparatus.
According to this aspect, the operating device whose operationality and the safety are high can be realized on the front of the operation panel of the on-vehicle type AV apparatus.
The nature, utility, and further features of this invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings briefly described below.